Switch



May 31, 1938. R. H. POLK SWITCH Origirial Filed Aug. 29, 1954 3Sheets-Sheet l May 31, 1938. R POLK 2,119,286

SWITCH Original Filed Aug. 29, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 InventorflobemflfaZ/i,

f I By flliomey May 31, 1938. R, H, POLK 2,119,286

SWITCH Original Filed Aug. 29, 1934 3 SheetsSheet 3 Inventor 1202267272?F0225,

h g ww m Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ApplicationAugust 29,

1934, Serial No. 741,970

Renewed November 29, 1937 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a switch, and more particularly to aswitch which is adapted to be used on the steering wheel of a motorvehicle for actuating and indicating means to indicate when the driverof the vehicle is desirous of making a right or left turn.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide means in amechanism of this type enabling manually setting the signalsanticipatory to the actual making of the turn so as to warn pedestriansand operators of vehicles of the drivers intention to make a turn, themanually set signals being thrown out of operation automatically as theturn is negotiated.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from areading of the following description in connection with the drawings,wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodimentof my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a portion of the spider portion of thesteering wheel showing the mechanism casing in top plan.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of Figure l partly in section andshowing interior mechanism.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the mechanismcasing showing the mechanism in top plan.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3and at right angles to Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view showing oneof the manually set circuit closers.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing the maincontact closer in an operative position.

Figure '7 is a side view of one of the re-setting members.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of the hinge oi the main circuit closingmember showing the slots provided for adjustment.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring system employed.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 refers generally tothe spider portion of an ordinary steering wheel which is keyed on thesteering shaft 6 as indicated at I so as to have a position above theupper end 8 of the steering column 9 which surrounds the steering shaft6.

Spaced below the steering wheel is a dielectric disk 10 which has asleeve portion II by which it is keyed to the steering column 9 so as tobe stationary with the steering column.

(Cl. BOG-59) Carried by the web of the steering wheel by means ofdepending bolts [2 is a cylindrical open bottomed casing l3 whichsurrounds and covers and protects the dielectric disk 10 as shown inFigure 4, the casing 13 rotating with the steering wheel and relative tothe dielectric disk 10.

At one side of the upper surface of the disk I!) is a depression M, theremainder of the surface of the disk being uniformly level.Concentrically and circumferentially arranged and radially spaced fromeach other around the steering column 9. the upper surface of the diskit carries the fiat annular contact bands I5, I6 which terminate at thesides of the depression 14 as shown in Figure 3.

The rearward side of the casing 3 has connetted to the underside of itstop by means of a bolt [1 one leaf l8 of a hinge construction iii theother leaf of which is designated 26 and has a normally dependingposition illustrated in Figure 2. It will be observed that the leaf I8is provided with radially arranged spaced slots 21 while the leaf 2!] isprovided with circumferentially arranged radially spaced slots 22 whichare vertical in the position of the leaf 2i shown in Figure 2. The bolts[1 in connection with the slots 2! provide for adjusting the leaf i8radially with respect to the center of the casing, while the verticalslots 22 operate in connection with bolts 23 to vertically adjust aY-shaped contact arm 24 which carries on its lower end radially spacedcontact rollers 25, 2B for engaging and riding upon the contact bandsl5, l6, respectively. Depending on either side of the contact arm 24 andsecured to the underside of the top of the casing l3 are brackets 22',28 between which and the contact arm 24 are stretched springs 29, 35which balance each other in pull so as to give the arm 24 a normallyvertical position when it is released from stress, a condition whichobtains when the rollers are located in the depression l4, as shown inFigure 2.

As the steering wheel is rotated, carrying the casing l3 with it, itwill cause one of the rollers 25, 26 of the contact arm to strikeagainst one side of the recess M and then climb the side of the recessand pass onto one of the contact bands l5, l6, and in so engaging eitherof the bands, ground that end of the circuit through the metal spider ofthe steering wheel, steering post, and frame of the car, so as toestablish a circuit to the corresponding lamp or lamps.

It is obvious, by referring to Figure 6, that when the steering wheel isinitially turned slightly to the right the roller 25 mounts the innertrack i5 and the roller 25 is held above and out of contact with trackl6, and that when the steering wheel is slightly turned to the left, theroller 26 on supporting arm mounts the track it and the roller i5 is outof contact with track iii. The track is is connected to the outer wireof the signals R and R, and track i6 is connected with the outer wire ofsignals L and L as shown in Figure 9. The effect or" turning thesteering wheel slightly to the right brings the metal roller out of thedepression it and into contact with track i5, thereby grounding the endof that circuit causing signals R and R to be energized and remainenergized until the steering wheel is rotated back to initial straightahead position, when arm 2 '2" with rollers 25 and 25 mounted thereon,reaches the depression i i and assumes a vertical position.

When the steering wheel is turned slightly to the left from the initialposition the roller i8 comes into contact with track 2% and lights upsignals L and L which remain showing as long as roller it is in contactwith track The signals are extinguished when the steering wheel isrotated back to initial position and arm with the associated rollersdrops into the depression i i.

Manually settable means for engaging the contact bands while the maincontact arm 26 is in the depression M, for operating the signal lampsanticipatory to actually making a turn, comprise left hand manualcontactor generally designated and the right hand contactor generallydesignated 28. As the contactors 2?, 28 are similar in construction,description of one will suffice description of each of them.

Vertically slidable through one of the spokes 29 of the steering wheelspider 5 as shown in Figure 5 is a hand rod or push button 3% which isslidable in an opening at the top of the casing 33 and is pivotallyconnected by a pin iii to and between a pair of curved legs 32 whichcarry between their outer ends a contact roller for engaging one of thecontact bands i5, it. The opposite or inward ends of the legs 32 areconnected by a bight portion 34 which is located between the legs of aU-shaped frame 35 and pivoted thereto by means of a pin 36. The frame 35is L-shaped in side elevation as shown in Figure 5 and its standardportion is connected by means of a rivet or bolt 3? to the underside ofthe top of the casing it. Helical springs 38, 39 are stretched betweenlugs on the far end of the frame 35 and the opposite ends of the pin 3iso as to snap the legs 32 to one side or the other, that is, below orabove dead center alignment so as to yieldably position the contactrollers 33 either in the dotted line elevated position shown in Figure 5or in the full line depressed position also shown in this figure. Itwill be obvious that depressing the hand rod 30 will produce thedepressed position. Mounted at a suitable point on opposite sides of thecenter of the disk it are inclined re-setting rows it and 460, securedby bolts or screws or the like 45 and 4m to the upper surface of thedisk i 0, and arranged so that the inner end of the pins M will ride onthe upper surface thereof whenever the steering wheel is returned from aturned position to a straight ahead position. with one of the contactorsin the engaged or depressed position, the action of the inclinedre-setters it! and Mia on the pins 3! being to elevate the same and tosnap the contacted rollers into the elevated po sition shown in dottedlines in Figure 5, thereby bringing the roller out of contact with itscompanion one of the contact bands it and break ing the manually setcircuit and re-setting the contactor.

Reference to Figure 9 will disclose a conventional h0ok-up wherein thebattery B of the automobile or the like furnishes energy for the lamps,one side of the lamps being connected through a hand switch S with oneside of the battery, and the remaining sides of the lamps beingconnected to opposite sides of the contact bands, so that selection ofeither pair of lamps is made by the rotating of the steering wheelcarrying the main contact member into contact with the contact bands asalready explained.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made inmaterial and structure and arrangement of parts, within the spirit ofthe invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:-

A steering wheel switch for interposition between a source of currentand an indicator, said switch comprising a stationary plate, a circularconductor strip on the plate, a pivotal arm, spring means for normallymaintaining the pivotal arm off of the said strip, a push button mountedon the steering wheel and connected to the said arm whereby the arm canbe moved toward the strip, said arm being in the form oi an arcuateshaped yoke, a contact roller mounted between the leg portions of theyoke, said button being provided with a shank disclosed between the legportions of the yoke shaped arm, a means for pivotally connecting thesaid shank in this position to the yoke shaped arm, a laterallyextending projection on said arm, and an upstanding inverted U-shapedmember secured to said plate, said U-shaped member engaging saidprojection for re-setting said arm.

ROBERT H. POLK.

